The Spanish government is calling for an investigation into Meta, X, and TikTok for the creation of child pornography using AI.
Pedro Sánchez calls for an end to the "impunity" of large platforms: "The State cannot allow it"
Barcelona / MadridPedro Sánchez is standing firm and taking another step in the crusade against Big Tech. The Spanish government on Tuesday asked the Public Prosecutor's Office to investigate X, Meta (which includes Facebook and Instagram), and TikTok for crimes they may be committing in the creation and distribution of child pornography using their artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
"These platforms are threatening the mental health, dignity, and rights of our children. The State cannot allow this. The impunity of these giants must end," Sánchez himself stated early Tuesday morning in a message posted on X. will ban social media for those under 16.This led Elon Musk, the owner of Xbox, to accuse him of being a "tyrant" and a "traitor." In a press conference following the cabinet meeting, spokesperson Elma Saiz justified the new measure by stating that "every day" millions of images of nudity, many of them of minors, created with AI, appear on social media. "We cannot allow this to be protected through an algorithm. The image and freedom of minors are at stake," she added.
What the state executive has done is invoke Article Eight of the Statute of the Public Prosecutor's Office, which empowers the executive to initiate investigations "in defense of the public interest." The request can be made by the Ministry of Justice or by the Spanish President through the State Attorney General's Office, but the latter will have the final say on the actions to be taken. Be that as it may, the Minister of Youth and Children, Sira Rego, has already celebrated that today marks another step towards guaranteeing children's rights on social media.
Tuesday's announcement was already included in the package of measures against the "abuses" of the two major social media platforms presented by Sánchez. "My government will work with the Public Prosecutor's Office to investigate and prosecute the infringements committed by Grok [X's AI], TikTok, and Instagram," Sánchez said in a speech at the World Governments Summit in Dubai. He addressed criminal, pornography, and violent content, and emphasized the creation of "false knots" using AI, including those involving minors.